"Really?"
Hearing Sylvester's words, Topaz's beautiful sapphire-like eyes widened round.
Seeing her wish fulfilled right before her eyes, Topaz was filled with excitement.
Sure enough, her judgment hadn't failed her!
She grabbed the piece of parchment covered in foreign-world script and, relying on the effects of the Synesthetic Beacon, easily comprehended the meaning of the formula.
"Flaming Flower Stamens… and a frog?"
Topaz quickly scanned every corner of the parchment, confirming that the formula contained only these two ingredients.
And on the lower half of the page, there were annotations stating that the Flaming Flower Stamens could even be substituted with materials of similar medicinal properties!
There was also detailed information about the Flaming Flower, helping users find DIY replacements themselves.
This formula was way too flexible—far too considerate, even!
But could just these two ingredients really have such a powerful effect? Judging from the description, the flames of the Flaming Flower weren't particularly strong. In its native habitat, while not everywhere, it was by no means a rare medicinal material.
And if she and Numby fully unleashed the power of their Cornerstone, their combat strength could absolutely reach planet-busting levels!
Her excitement gradually turned into hesitation. "Isn't this too simple? Can these two things really increase Fire-type combat power by 25%?"
Although there was no reason to doubt it, the item itself just didn't look very reliable.
Facing her doubts, Sylvester smiled faintly and said bluntly, "Of course—if it were only these two ingredients, then yes, you really wouldn't be able to make the Flaming Essential Oil. At most, you'd end up with a pot of fiery frog soup."
He raised a finger and pointed at the formula in Topaz's hand. "But with this sheet of paper added in, everything changes. As long as you put this paper together with the other materials into the Omni-Synthesizer, decay can be turned into the miraculous, and these two ingredients can be synthesized into Flaming Essential Oil that enhances Fire-type power!"
"And what's more, this paper can be reused indefinitely!"
Hearing this, Topaz puffed out her cheeks in surprise. "There's such a thing?!"
She lowered her head to look at the supple parchment in her hands, finding it hard to believe.
This parchment wasn't just a formula—it was a material itself? And an indestructible one at that?
What kind of principle was this? Was it some sort of catalyst?
But how could an ordinary material be catalyzed to the point that even someone at her level would gain a significant boost?
"Incredible!"
Topaz praised the parchment endlessly. Although she didn't understand the principle, if she tried to dig into such matters, she'd probably never leave this little shop for the rest of her life.
In any case, none of that mattered. Once this oil hit the market, it would definitely cause a sensation across the entire universe.
A 25% boost was more than enough to attract countless Fire-type powerhouses!
She carefully took out her work folder and slipped the formula into the middle of a thick stack of work reports.
Those reports—each corner of which could determine cash flows worth millions of Credits—had now become a shield protecting the formula from damage. Their status had plummeted who knew how many times, rivaling that of outdated newspapers used to wrap books.
But Topaz no longer cared about any of that. She had already begun thinking through the sales strategy for Flaming Essential Oil!
In the eyes of Sylvester and the other onlookers, Topaz pinched her chin, eyes tightly shut, her brows alternately relaxing and tensing.
The only constant was her tender cheeks, which kept puffing up as if inflated, before suddenly deflating completely once they reached a certain point.
She muttered streams of complex data under her breath. "Number of Fire-type Pathstriders in the Silverchain Galaxy… Taikiyan has 2,998 people… the Asdana Galaxy has more, but factoring in the Family and the IPC's relations, we'll need to cut 39% of sales, though the price can be… as long as we invest 300 million Credits in advertising, we can still increase it by 340%…"
Watching Topaz rapidly draft an entire sales plan, Jade didn't stop her, merely smiling faintly.
Topaz's data-processing ability was among the very best of the Ten Stonehearts, and it was precisely this strength that had allowed her to cut through countless obstacles and ultimately secure a position in the Strategic Investment Department.
Although the scope of this project spanned an enormous number of star systems, with Topaz's capabilities, it wouldn't take long.
As for the risk of leaking confidential information…
She glanced at Sylvester, then at Jingliu and Feixiao beside her, before smiling and shaking her head.
To say that the people before her harbored such base intentions would be laughable.
If they ever wanted to target the IPC, they wouldn't stoop to underhanded tricks—they'd be far more likely to raise their swords and cut straight through.
Sure enough, just as Jade expected, only five minutes later—
Topaz clapped her hands together in front of her chest, producing a crisp slap!
"Alright! We'll go with this plan. Roll it out across all the Corporation's sales outlets before the end of the year—that alone will be enough to raise the entire Strategic Investment Department's profits by ten points!"
"Then I wish you overflowing wealth, Ms. Topaz," Sylvester said politely after taking a sip of tea.
Topaz snapped back to reality, realizing that she had unconsciously treated this place like her own office and started planning on the spot. Her cheeks flushed slightly, a touch embarrassed.
She smiled shyly and said softly, "I must have made a fool of myself in front of you, Shopkeeper Sylvester."
Putting her folder away, Topaz cleared her throat and then turned her gaze to the fourth Curio.
Thankfully, there were still Curios left unexplained—perfect for changing the subject.
She asked, "Shopkeeper Sylvester, what is this one?"
Sylvester understood her intention and was more than happy to go along with it.
He said, "This is a bag of [Delicious Pet Feed]. It can automatically adapt to the nutritional needs of any pet, with no dietary conflicts whatsoever—no accidents like dogs eating chocolate. And its flavor is irresistibly enticing to pets. No pet can refuse it!"
"Mhm. That's a pretty good item too," Topaz said.
Hearing Sylvester's explanation, she nodded repeatedly. "Although Numby usually doesn't eat ordinary food… who knows, it might like this as well."
For most people, spending one million Credits just to buy a bag of pet food would be heart-wrenching. But for someone of Topaz's standing, while it couldn't be called a routine expense, it was merely a slight premium—an occasional indulgence.
"Mm… giving it to Numby… I wonder if after eating it, it would also…" cough.
Would it also become delicious?
Sylvester coughed lightly, leaving the sentence unfinished.
Warp Trotters were mild in nature, sweet in flavor, and not edible—but perhaps after eating this pet feed, their meat quality could be raised to food-grade?
Of course, that was something he definitely couldn't say out loud to Topaz.
Sylvester then pointed at the red-and-white sphere. "Ms. Topaz, you should have some impression of this final Curio, shouldn't you?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Aventurine. Someone had once opened a [Poké Ball] here as well, on the very same day Aventurine last visited. There was no way Topaz wouldn't know.
Sure enough, Topaz nodded with a smile. "Yes, I've heard of this item. It's a Curio called a [Poké Ball], right? It can capture various animals."
"That's right. Animals absorbed by this ball will, in most cases, develop a sense of dependence on the captor and become very easy to befriend."
Sylvester smiled, then shifted his tone. "However, this [Poké Ball] is slightly different from the previous one—it has already captured a Pokémon. As for what's inside, Ms. Topaz will have to confirm it herself. Just throw the [Poké Ball] onto the ground, and the Pokémon inside will automatically manifest."
"I see." Topaz picked up the Poké Ball, which was slightly larger than her palm, and said softly, "I hope it's a cute little creature."
She didn't throw it forcefully. Instead, she extended her arm and simply let go, allowing the Poké Ball to fall.
Just before the ball struck the ground, a burst of light suddenly appeared, its outline rapidly changing. In the blink of an eye, it had grown to Numby's size.
Before the light fully faded, thin arcs of electric sparks crackled and danced around its body.
===BREAK===
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